Fruit

Sometimes I gotta go back to my training and French things up…. Here’s what I am up to in the kitchen this week;

Aligote on Toast

INGREDIENTS

1 pound Blue Sky German Butterball potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup milk, warmed

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 ounces Langres cheese

2 ounces Monte Enebro cheese

White truffle oil, for serving

Toasted baguette slices, for serving

DIRECTIONS

Place potatoes in a large saucepan and add enough water to cover; generously salt water and bring to a boil, adjusting the heat so that the water is bubbling, but not too rapidly. Cook until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.

Drain and mash or pass potatoes through a ricer into saucepan. Place over low heat and add milk; stir to combine. Add butter and stir until melted. Beat with a wooden spoon until stringy.

Remove from heat and stir in cheeses until melted; season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl and drizzle with truffle oil. Serve with toasts.

Coq Au Vin

[Chicken in Red Wine with Onions, Mushrooms and Bacon]

Blah Blah Blah… I know the recipe is long and seems a bit complicated. News flash, nothing great comes easy and this is great! After you have done it once (maybe twice) it will be much easier and it will be the impress the guests dish in your home! The onions and mushrooms will become a staple in many of your dishes. It’s all about technique!

3- to 4-ounce chunk of bacon, cut the bacon into lardons (rectangles 1/4-inch across and 1 inch long)

Sauté the bacon slowly in hot butter until it is very lightly browned. Remove to a side dish.

Dry the chicken thoroughly. Brown it in the hot fat in the casserole.

Season the chicken. Return the bacon to the casserole with the chicken. Cover and cook slowly for 10 minutes, turning the chicken once.

Uncover, and pour in the cognac. Averting your face, ignite the cognac with a lighted match. Shake the casserole back and forth for several seconds until the flames subside.

Pour the wine into the casserole. Add just enough stock or bouillon to cover the chicken. Stir in the tomato paste, garlic and herbs. Bring to the simmer. Cover and simmer slowly for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the chicken is tender and its juices run a clear yellow when the meat is pricked with a fork. Remove the chicken to a side dish.

While the chicken is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms (recipe follows).

Simmer the chicken cooking liquid in the casserole for a minute or two, skimming off the fat. Then raise the heat and boil rapidly, reducing the liquid to about 2 1/4 cups. Correct seasoning. Remove from heat and discard bay leaf.

Blend the butter and flour together into a smooth paste (buerre manie). Beat the paste into the hot liquid with a wire whip. Bring to the simmer, stirring, and simmer for a minute or two. The sauce should be thick enough to coat a spoon lightly.

Arrange the chicken in the casserole, place the mushrooms and onions around it and baste with the sauce. If this dish is not to be served immediately, film the top of the sauce with stock or dot with small pieces of butter. Set aside uncovered. It can now wait indefinitely.

Shortly before serving, bring to the simmer, basting the chicken with the sauce. Cover and simmer slowly for 4 to 5 minutes, until the chicken is hot enough.

Sever from the casserole, or arrange on a hot platter. Decorate with spring for parsley.

When the butter and oil are bubbling the skillet, add the onions and sauté over moderate heat for about 10 minutes, rolling the onions about so they will brown as evenly as possible. Be careful not to break their skins. You cannot expect to brown them uniformly.

Pour in the liquid, season to taste, and add the herb bouquet. Cover and simmer slowly for 40 to 50 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but retain their shape, and the liquid has evaporated. Remove the herb bouquet. Serve them as they are.

Champignons Sautés Au Buerre [Sautéed Mushrooms]

1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, washed, well dried, left whole if small, sliced or quartered if large

1 to 2 tablespoons minced shallots or Blue Sky Purple Bunching onions

Salt and pepper

Place the skillet over high heat with the butter and oil. As soon as you see the butter foam has begun to subside, indicating that it is hot enough, add the mushrooms. Toss and shake the pan for 4 to 5 minutes. During their sauté the mushrooms will at first absorb the fat. In 2 to 3 minutes the fat will reappear on their surface, and the mushrooms will begin to brown. As soon as they have browned lightly, remove from heat.

Toss the shallots or green onions with the mushrooms. Sauté over moderate heat for 2 minutes.

Sautéed mushrooms may be cooked in advance, set aside, then reheated when needed. Season to taste just before serving.

To make the beef: Put all the ingredients except the bouillon cube in a Dutch oven or soup pot and bring to a boil, skimming off the foam and solids that bubble to the surface. Lower the heat and simmer gently for 1 1/2 hours. The broth will have a mild flavor, and that’s fine for this dish, but if you want to pump it up, you can stir in the 1/2 bouillon cube — taste the broth at the midway point and decide.

Drain the meat, reserving the broth. Transfer the meat to a cutting board and discard the vegetables, or if they’ve still got some flavor to spare, hold on to them for the filling. Traditionally hachis Parmentier is vegetable-less, but that shouldn’t stop you from salvaging and using the vegetables. Strain the broth. (The beef and bouillon can be made up to one day ahead, covered and refrigerated.)

Using a chef’s knife, chop the beef into tiny pieces. You could do this in a food processor, but the texture of your hachis Parmentier will be more interesting if you chop it by hand, an easy and quick job.

To make the filling: Butter a 2-quart oven-going casserole — a Pyrex deep-dish pie plate is just the right size for this.

Put a large skillet over medium heat and pour in the olive oil. When it’s hot, add the sausage and cook, breaking up the clumps of meat, until the sausage is just pink. Add the chopped beef and tomato paste and stir to mix everything well. Stir in 1 cup of the bouillon and bring to a boil. You want to have just enough bouillon in the pan to moisten the filling and to bubble up gently wherever there’s a little room; if you think you need more (a smidgen more is better than too little), add it now. Season with salt and pepper, especially pepper. If you’ve kept any of the vegetables from the bouillon, cut them into small cubes and stir them into the filling before you put the filling in the casserole. Scrape the filling into the casserole and cover it lightly; set aside while you prepare the potatoes. (You can make the dish to this point up to a few hours ahead; cover the casserole with foil and refrigerate.)

To make the topping: Have ready a potato ricer or food mill (first choices), a masher, or a fork.

Put the potatoes in a large pot of generously salted cold water and bring to a boil. Cook until the potatoes are tender enough to be pierced easily with the tip of a knife, about 20 minutes; drain them well.

Meanwhile, center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil or a silicone baking mat (you’ll use it as a drip catcher).

Warm the milk and cream.

Run the potatoes through the ricer or food mill into a bowl, or mash them well. Using a wooden spoon or a sturdy spatula, stir in the milk and cream, then blend in the 3 tablespoons butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Spoon the potatoes over the filling, spreading them evenly and making sure they reach to the edges of the casserole. Sprinkle the grated Gruyere, Comte or Emmental over the top of the pie, dust with the Parmesan (if using), and scatter over the bits of butter. Place the dish on the lined baking sheet.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until the filling is bubbling steadily and the potatoes have developed a golden brown crust (the best part). Serve.

Serving

Bring the hachis Parmentier to the table and spoon out portions there. The dish needs nothing more than a green salad to make it a full and very satisfying meal.

Storing

It’s easy to make this dish in stages: the beef and bouillon can be made up to a day ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator, and the filling can be prepared a few hours ahead and kept covered in the fridge. You can even assemble the entire pie ahead and keep it chilled for a few hours before baking it (directly from the refrigerator if your casserole can stand the temperature change) — of course, you’ll have to bake it a little longer. If you’ve got leftovers, you can reheat them in a 350-degree-F oven.

Quick Hachis Parmentier. You can make a very good hachis Parmentier using ground beef and store-bought beef broth. Use 1 pound ground beef instead of the steak, and when you add it to the sausage in the skillet, think about adding some finely chopped fresh parsley and maybe a little minced fresh thyme. You can also saute 1 or 2 minced garlic cloves, split and germ removed, in the olive oil before the sausage goes into the skillet. (The herbs and garlic help mimic the aromatics in the bouillon.) Moisten the filling with the broth, and you’re good to go.

Poulet Basquaise

(Pepper and Tomato Chicken Stew)

Ingredients

2 tsp olive oil

2 drumsticks + 2 thighs, skin on… Blue Sky of coarse

1 Blue Sky onion, chopped

2 Blue Sky garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup white wine

2 red bell pepper, peeled and cubed

1 Blue Sky green bell pepper, peeled and cubed

2 lb Blue Sky cubed tomatoes

1/4 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp Blue Sky thyme

Salt and pepper to taste

Cayenne

Directions

In a deep saucepan, heat olive oil on medium heat. Season the chicken all over with salt, pepper, and cayenne. Brown chicken for about 8 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside. Drain excess fat if needed.

Add onion and garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Deglaze with wine and scrub the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon or spatula.

In your largest soup pot heat the oil, then add the onions, leeks, and celery. Saute for about 5 minutes, then stir in the soaked beans and 12 cups water. Bring to a boil, dial back to a simmer, then cook for about 15 minutes. Reserve one of the tomatoes for the pistou, then stir the remaining tomatoes into the pot, then the potatoes. Cook for another 15-20 minutes, or until the beans seem like they are nearly cooked. Add a bouillon cube, then the pasta, and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the zucchini and the chard stems and cook for another 3 minutes. Salt to taste. At this point the pasta should be cooked through, as well as all the beans and vegetables. For the soup to taste good, you really need to get the right amount of salt in it – just be mindful of this, and adjust if needed.

While the soup is cooking, you can make the pistou. I use a mortar and pestle, but you can use a food processor if you like. Pound the garlic with the salt into a paste. Add the basil a handful at a time and pound and grind until nearly smooth. Add the tomatoes, then gradually stir in the olive oil a bit at a time. Stir in the cheese, then chill until ready to use.

Ladle soup into bowls and top with a generous dollop of pistou.

RATATOUILLE

SERVES 6

Sautéing dried herbes de Provence in olive oil for this vegetable dish awakens their fragrance. You can substitute fresh Blue Sky tomatoes for canned, when in season.

Increase heat to high; stir in the zucchini, eggplant, peppers, and tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Uncover pot, transfer to the oven, and bake, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender and lightly browned, about 1 1⁄2 hours.

Stir in basil and parsley, transfer ratatouille to a serving bowl, and serve warm or at room temperature.

Quiche Lorraine

INGREDIENTS

All-purpose flour, for dusting

Tart Dough

10 ounces slab bacon, cut into 3/4-by-1/4-by-1/4-inch strips

3 large Blue Sky eggs

2 cups heavy cream

3/4 teaspoon coarse salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

DIRECTIONS

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to 1/4 inch thick. Cut out a 13-inch circle from dough. Press dough onto bottom and up sides of an 11-inch tart pan with a removable bottom; trim dough flush with top edge of pan. Prick bottom all over with a fork. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Line tart shell with parchment paper, and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until dough starts to feel firm on the edges, about 20 minutes. Remove parchment and weights; continue baking until crust is pale golden brown, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Leave oven on.

Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain.

Whisk eggs, cream, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Pour mixture into tart shell, and scatter the bacon strips on top. Bake until puffed and pale golden brown, about 30 minutes. Let cool at least 30 minutes before serving.

Please email me and let me know what you tried and how it turned out. Pictures would be great! I will post on the blog and Instagram

Next up cold noodle dishes for summer… I have been craving them in this heat!

pound fresh mozzarella, sliced (you should have enough slices to cover the whole top of the lasagna)

4

tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper

To make the sauce: Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven on medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add onions and carrots. Sautée for 2 to 3 minutes, until the vegetables are beginning to soften.

Add the white wine and deglaze the pan. Stir the liquid and wait for it to reduce by half. Next, add the tomatoes, the tomato purée, and the thyme. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover partially, and cook while you prepare the other ingredients.

After about 20 minutes, the vegetables should be soft enough to puree with a handheld immersion blender. If you don’t have one, break up the whole tomatoes using a wooden spoon. Taste again for seasoning — it should taste a little on the salty side, but this will work to flavor the noodles.

To make the vegetables: Preheat your grill to medium-high heat. Use a small amount of olive oil on the sliced vegetables, and season with salt and pepper. Grill the vegetables for a few minutes on each side, until the grill lines are pronounced. Transfer the vegetables to a plate, and turn off the grill. (When it’s 118F outside feel free to fire up the grill pan for the veggies! My Lodge cast-iron grill pan actually works better than the grill.)

To assemble the lasagna: Preheat the oven to 350º F. In a medium bowl, crack the egg into the ricotta, season with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and mix well. Set aside. Then, set up your lasagna assembly station. You should have at the ready: tomato sauce, noodles, vegetables, and goat cheese.

In a large casserole dish, start your layering. Start with the tomato sauce, spreading enough to cover the bottom of the dish (about 1/2 cup). Next, layer your noodles, overlapping them slightly. Spread 1/3 of your ricotta mixture over the noodles.

Top with a layer of zucchini (you’re aiming for 2 total layers of zucchini). Crumble half the goat cheese on top of the zucchini. Add more sauce to cover the vegetables and cheese.

Repeat with the noodles and ricotta, and then layer your eggplant (you only need one layer of eggplant, so feel free to use it all). Cover the eggplant with sauce, and repeat the next layer: noodles, ricotta, zucchini. Crumble the remaining half of the goat cheese on top of your zucchini. Add more sauce to cover the vegetables and cheese, then top with a final layer of noodles, and cover with the remaining sauce.

Add the mozzarella slices and sprinkle the Parmesan. Drizzle a little olive oil over the whole lasagna, and season once more with salt and pepper.

Cover with foil, and bake in the oven, covered, for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 30 minutes. If the mozzarella isn’t fully melted at this point, turn on the broiler. Watch the lasgna carefully so that it doesn’t burn.

Rest your lasagna for 5 minutes before slicing so that the pieces stay intact.

Diplomat is an excellent flavoured Galia melon with sweet aromatic green flesh. Galia melons are much more juicy and flavoursome than honeydews. Galia melons are ripe when the skin becomes yellowish and the fruit gives off an aromatic fragrance.

Lambkin Melon

This melon has a golden rind mottled with green. The Piel de Sapo type of melon, very popular in Spain, translates (unfortunately) to Toadskin, but that’s just how it looks. Nothing compares with the aromatic, succulent-sweet and juicy flesh, which has the look of a honeydew with a honey-sweet flavor.

San Juan

Wonderfully aromatic, pear-like, sweet flavor. Ivory colored flesh.

Wrangler/ Tuscan

A truly flavorful Cantaloupe is quite special for those of us who are Melon Lovers. The fruit is simply impressive! The firm, yet smoothly textured flesh was juicy and exquisitely sweet. That rich flavor will make you want to eat more and more.

Tuscan-style Cantaloupes can be identified by their deep, green colored ribs between straw colored netted skin. The rind of this melon variety is thin and the seed cavity is tight – giving you lots of melon flesh for the money. These are not cheapest Cantaloupes, but are some of the best for snacking, salads, desserts and appetizers. The fruit will be sweet and ready to cut as soon as you buy it, but you can condition it to your liking.

a large, bright-yellow melon with a pale green to white inner flesh. This melon has a distinctively sweet flavor that is slightly tangier than a honeydew melon. The flesh looks like that of a pear but is softer and tastes a little like a cantaloupe. When ripe, the rind has a slightly waxy feel. The name comes from its bright yellow color, which resembles that of the canary. This melon is often marketed as the Juan Canary melon or “variety melons

Sarah’s Choice

The best tasting of all cantaloupes. When ripe it has sweet juicy incredibly delicious flesh. When you eat this rock melon you will be spoiled for any other.

I am all about the condiment, take your dish to the next level! All you need are some great herbs, lots of garlic, throw in some olive oil and great vinegars, a little creativity and BANG!

Fresh Pickle Relish

Fresher and more vibrant than the jarred stuff, this easy-to-make relish is good on hot dogs, burgers, and grilled sausages.

Ingredients

SERVINGS: 8

1 large Blue Sky cucumber (about 1 pound), finely chopped

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

2 tsp. yellow mustard seeds

2 tsp. grated peeled ginger

1 tsp. ground turmeric

⅓ cup unseasoned rice vinegar

2 Tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. kosher salt plus more

Preparation

PREP: 15 MIN TOTAL: 30 MIN

Place cucumber in a fine-mesh sieve set over a medium bowl; toss with 1 tsp. salt. Let sit 10 minutes, then squeeze well to remove as much moisture as possible (do not rinse).

Meanwhile, heat oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add mustard seeds and cook, stirring, just until they begin to pop, about 1 minute. Mix in ginger and turmeric and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add vinegar and sugar and cook until syrupy, about 5 minutes longer. Mix in cucumber; transfer to a small bowl and season with salt. Let cool.

Do Ahead: Relish can be made 1 week ahead. Cover and chill.

Cucumber-Dill Tzatziki

A cooling, slightly garlicky spread that’s great with braised lamb tonight and possibly even better when added to a lamb sandwich tomorrow.

Ingredients

SERVINGS: MAKES 3 CUPS

1 Blue Sky cucumber, seeded, very finely chopped

2 Blue Sky garlic cloves, grated

2 cups plain Greek yogurt

2 tablespoons finely chopped Blue Sky fresh dill

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Mix cucumber, garlic, yogurt, dill, lemon juice, and oil in a medium bowl; season with salt and pepper. Cover and let sit at room temperature until flavors meld, at least 1 hour.

Preparation

Grilled Tomatoes

When we say high heat, we mean it: You want the tomatoes to char, but not cook so much that they collapse.

Ingredients

SERVINGS: 4

2 pints Blue Sky cherry tomatoes

2 tablespoons olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Toss tomatoes with oil; season with salt and pepper. Grill over high heat, turning occasionally, until tomatoes are charred and blistered, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool.

Cilantro-Parsley Chutney

This sauce goes with pretty much any grilled meat; stir leftovers into yogurt to make a dip.

Ingredients

SERVINGS: MAKES ABOUT 1¼ CUPS

6 serrano chiles, seeded, chopped

4 Blue Sky garlic cloves, chopped

1½ cups Blue Sky cilantro leaves with tender stems

1½ cups Blue Sky flat-leaf parsley leaves with tender stems

1 teaspoon ground cumin

Pinch of ground cardamom

¾ cup olive oil, divided

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Pulse chiles, garlic, cilantro, parsley, cumin, cardamom, and ¼ cup oil in a food processor until very finely chopped. Transfer chutney to a medium bowl and mix in remaining ½ cup oil; season with salt and pepper.

Do Ahead: Chutney can be made 3 days ahead; cover and chill.

Radish Raita

“I love peppery radishes with cooling yogurt—so good on grilled chicken or fish.”

Ingredients

SERVINGS: MAKES 1½ CUPS

1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt

⅓ cup chopped fresh mint and/or cilantro

1 serrano chile, seeded, finely chopped

2 tablespoons finely chopped Blue Sky red onion

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 cup coarsely grated Blue Sky red radishes, plus more for serving

Kosher salt

Olive oil and fresh cilantro leaves (for serving)

Preparation

Mix together yogurt, mint, chile, onion, and lime juice. Gently fold in radishes; season with salt. Serve raita drizzled with oil and topped with cilantro and more grated radish.

Preparation

Do Ahead: Onion can be pickled 2 weeks ahead. Refrigerate tightly for up to 2 weeks. Cover and chill.

Swiss Chard Salsa Verde

This deceptively simple condiment is as addictive as pesto and as transformative as a squeeze of lemon. Spoon it onto fish, chicken, steak, roasted vegetables, or even pasta.

Ingredients

SERVINGS: MAKES 2 CUPS

½ bunch Blue Sky Red chard

1 medium shallot, finely chopped

¾ cup (or more) extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons finely chopped Blue Sky chives

1 tablespoon (or more) red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Also Try It With: Blue Sky Toscano Kale

Instructions

Remove ribs and stems from chard leaves and reserve. Finely chop leaves (you should have about 1¾ cups); thinly slice ribs and stems crosswise. Combine chard leaves and ribs and stems, shallot, oil, chives, vinegar, and lemon zest in a medium bowl; season with salt and pepper and toss to combine. Add more vinegar or oil, if desired.

Preparation

TOTAL: 5 MIN

Mix tomatoes, if using, lemon zest, garlic, arugula, breadcrumbs, capers, and vinegar in a small bowl. Using a wooden spoon, slowly mix in ¾ cup oil, then Parmesan. Pour a little oil on surface to keep salsa from discoloring.

Chimichurri Sauce

This colorful sauce doubles as a marinade and an accompaniment to all cuts of beef.

Ingredients

SERVINGS: MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more

3-4 Blue Sky garlic cloves, thinly sliced or minced

1 shallot, finely chopped

1 Fresno chile or red jalapeño, finely chopped

1/2 cup minced Blue Sky cilantro

1/4 cup minced Blue Sky parsley

2 tablespoons finely chopped Blue Sky oregano

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Preparation

Combine vinegar, 1 tsp. salt, garlic, shallot, and chile in a medium bowl and let stand for 10 minutes. Stir in cilantro, parsley, and oregano. Using a fork, whisk in oil. Remove 1/2 cup chimichurri to a small bowl, season with salt to taste, and reserve as sauce. Put meat in a glass, stainless-steel, or ceramic dish. Toss with remaining marinade. Cover and chill for at least 3 hours or overnight.

Remove meat from marinade, pat dry, and grill.

Spoon reserved sauce over grilled meat.

Herb Dressing

A drizzle of this herb pesto will complement virtually any savory dish, and it takes only minutes to make.

Ingredients

SERVINGS: 6

1/2 cup (packed) fBlue Sky basil leaves

1/2 cup (packed) Blue Sky parsley leaves

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

Preparation

Pulse basil, parsley, zest, and pepper flakes, if using, in a food processor until coarsely chopped. Add oil and lemon juice and pulse to combine; season with salt and pepper.

Mojo Verde

Ingredients

SERVINGS: 1¼ CUPS

6 Blue Sky garlic cloves

2 cups (packed) Blue Sky cilantro leaves

½ teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more

½ cup olive oil

2 teaspoons Sherry vinegar

Preparation

Process garlic, cilantro, cumin, and 1 tsp. salt in a food processor, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl, until a smooth paste forms. With the machine running, drizzle in oil and process until well blended. Add Sherry and 1 tsp. water and process to blend. Season with salt.

Tomato Butter

Use this sweet condiment as a topping for grilled fish, cooked rice, or crostini.

Ingredients

Blue Sky Cherry tomatoes

Kosher salt

Softened butter (Don’t go cheap, use great butter)

Preparation

Preheat broiler. Broil tomatoes until skins blister and juices are released; let cool. Transfer to a food processor; season with salt. Purée until coarsely chopped, then stir into butter.